HIKE SCHEDULE
MONDAY MILERS: WINTER/SPRING 2023
Adventures with Olin and Richard…

January 23 SASSAFRAS MTN. FOOTHILLS TRAIL, NORTH
5.0 miles, 1,000’ descent, 400’ ascent est., R6, $4.00 suggested car fee
A shuttle hike from the top of Sassafras Mtn. to Highway 178.

January 30 ECUSTA TRAIL/HENDERSON COUNTY
5-7 miles, 50’ ascent, est., R4, $3.00 suggested car fee
A shuttle hike, we’ll leave cars at the crossing of the French Broad River and start at the eastern terminus at South Main Street (and the old RR tracks).

February 6 MOUNTAINS TO SEA TRAIL, DEVIL’S COURTHOUSE
5 miles, 800’ climb, R6, car fee: $5.00
Park at 215 near the Mountains to Sea Trail, hike to Devil’s Courthouse, then return via the Blue Ridge Parkway and highway 215 to cars.

February 13 BENT CREEK FOREST RAMBLE, TWO
7.8 miles, 1,500’ ascent,, R7, car fee: $5.00
A loop trail from Rice Pinnacle parking we take Rice Pinnacle Rd. (491) straight onto North Boundary Rd. (485), left onto Ingles Field Gap trail, right onto Ingles Field Connector, left onto Boyd Branch Rd., right onto Ledford Branch Rd. (479E) to Ledford parking. There we take a left onto Deer Lake Lodge trail finishing at Rice Pinnacle parking.

February 20 GREEN RIVER GAME LANDS – NORTH SIDE, 2
6 miles, 1,100’ ascent, R7, suggested car fee: $5.00
A loop hike off Big Hungry Road. Hike down Pulliam Creek Trail to left at Green River Cove trail , out and back, then right up Bear Branch trail, the sharp left onto Bishop Branch trail to Big Hungry Rd., left back to cars.

February 27 MST PROMONTORY STUMP
5.8 miles, 200’ ascent, 1,500’ descent, R4, car fee: $3.00
A shuttle, we start at the Mountains-to-Sea trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway near the Pigeon Gap and the Hwy 276 on ramp. We hike down to the Barnett Branch trail on the Mountains to Sea trail, continue on to Pink Beds, then right to our car(s) at parking there. Lunch at the picnic tables in Pink Beds.

March 6 BENNETT GAP/COONTREE LOOP
5 miles, 1,800’ ascent, R8, car fee: $1.00
A loop from Avery Creek Rd. we take Bennett Gap up to a left on Coontree Loop, then back to Bennett Gap and our cars.

March 13 HICKORY NUT OVERLOOKS
(Meet at Lowes or Ingles on Hwy. 64 in Hendersonville)
5.3 miles, 1,600’ ascent, R7, car fee: $5.00
Beginning at Hickory Nut Gorge parking in Gerton (Henderson County), hiking in the Florence Nature Preserve to the Tom and Glenna Rock overlook, then to the Rattlesnake Knob overlook, then back to cars.

March 20 CAT GAP LOOP AND JOHN ROCK
6 miles, 1,000’ climb, R7, $2.00
Hiking counterclockwise we will hike Cat Gap via the short cut to John Rock trail. We’ll stop for lunch with a view and continue on the John Rock loop to Cat Gap and back to the Fish Hatchery.

March 27 UPPER GRASSY AND WINTERGREEN FALLS FROM LAKE IMAGING (A new variation, due to closure of Guion Farm parking)
8 miles, 780’ ascent, R8, car fee: $3.00
A wander in Dupont Forest. Beginning at Lake Imaging parking, hike Lake Imaging Rd. to a left on Jim Branch, right on Buck Forest, left on Thomas Cemetary, right on Sandy Trail to Wintergreen falls, then up a user trail to Upper Grassy falls. Retrace our steps to a left on Buck Forest Road, and back to cars on Lake Imaging Road.

April 3 DANIEL RIDGE, ROAD 225, BACK ON CANEY BOTTOM
8.3 miles, 1,150’ climb, R8, car fee: $2.00
From Daniel Ridge trail we go left on forest road 225 to Caney Bottom, then return via a connector trail to Daniel Ridge parking

April 10 BEARWALLOW MOUNTAIN/TRAMBATORE TRAIL
8.3 miles, 2,000’ climb, R9, car fee: $5.00
From Bear Wallow Road we hike in and out on both the Trambatore and Bearwallow mountain Trails.

April 17 ROUGH AND TWIN FALLS (Annual flower hike)
4.5 miles, 350’ ascent, R4, car fee: $5.00
An out and back trail, this is more of a flower walk than hike.
Directions:
US 64 to Cashiers, north (right) on Hwy 107 for 8.1 miles then sharp left onto Shoal Creek Mountain Rd. (It is just a tenth of a mile or so past a large pipe on left).

April 24  FLAT CREEK FALLS, PANTHERTOWN
8 mi, 1440’cl, R7, $5.00
From the trailhead at the end of Rock Bridge road in Panthertown we hike an non-maintained trestle path and old logging roads before scrambling over boulders to the base of the Flat Creek Falls–one of the most outstanding waterfalls in western North Carolina.  We retrace our steps back to our cars. Hikers will need to wear old hiking shoes for the many stream crossings on this hike.

May 1 PANTHERTOWN, EXPLORING THE MIDDLE
7.2 miles, a loop, 650’ ascent, 700’ descent, R6, car fee: $5.00
From Cold Mountain trailhead we go out on Mac’s Gap trail, straight onto Big Green trail left onto Great Wall trails right onto Granny Burrell trail go past Granny Burrell Falls, left onto Mac’s Gap trail, right on Panthertown Valley trail, right on Little Green trail to School House Falls, back, continue right on Panthertown Valley trail to cars.

May 8 NORTH SLOPE/ART LOEB LOOP
7.9 miles, 1,250’ climb, R8, no car fee
From the Art Loeb parking we hike up North Slope to the North Slope Connector to the Art Loeb Trail completing the loop.

May 15 SHINING ROCK
8 miles, 1300’ climb, R9, car fee: $5.00
From Black Balsam parking follow Ivestor Gap to Art Loeb to Shining Rock campground. Retrace back to cars.

May 22 BUCK SPRINGS TO PISGAH INN
6 miles, 1,250 ascent, 65’ descent, R7, car fee: $4.00.
A shuttle: leave a car at the Pisgah Inn, we will begin our hike at the Buck Springs parking on HWY 276

May 29 DUPONT FOREST, CORN MILLS TO BRIDAL VEIL FALLS
6 miles, 500’ climb, R5, $3.00
From the Corn Mills Shoals parking we hike that trail to Bridal Veil Falls, have lunch, and return. Important note: We will wade the Little River. Either bring a pair of sandals to use, go barefoot when crossing, or wet your feet. It is a doable but slippery crossing.